Monday, June 20, 2011

Evangeline Lilly and Barry Humphries Join "The Hobbit" Cast

31-year-old former "Lost" star Evangeline Lilly and 77-year-old Barry Humphries of "Dame Edna" are joining the cast of "The Hobbit" film.

The film's director Peter Jackson announces on Facebook last Sunday that Lilly will be playing a new character — the Woodland Elf, Tauriel which means 'daughter of Mirkwood'

"We are thrilled and excited she will be the one to bring our first true Sylvan Elf to life." the director said.

Jackson also announced that Barry Humphries will play the Goblin King.

"I'm also highly excited that Barry Humphries will be portraying the Goblin King, in much the way Andy Serkis created Gollum. Barry is perhaps best known for his business and social connections as the long-time manager of Dame Edna Everage. He has also been an ardent supporter of the rather misunderstood and unfairly maligned Australian politician, Sir Les Patterson. However, in his spare time, Barry is also a fine actor, and we're looking forward to seeing him invest the Goblin King with the delicate sensitivity and emotional depth this character deserves." the director also said.

Evangeline and Barry will be joined by Orlando Bloom, Elijah Wood, Sir Ian McKellan, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, and Andy Serkis, who are all reprising their Lord of the Rings characters in the prequel.

The first of the two films, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, hits theaters December 14, 2012. The second installment, The Hobbit: There and Back Again, will be filmed back-to-back with the first; it will arrive in theaters December 13, 2013.